First Look at Amandla Stenberg’s New Comic Book, Niobe: She Is Death

Can a half-elf, fully female, warrior–bounty hunter be exactly what comics need right now? Sebastian A. Jones and Amandla Stenberg think so. The pair made history in 2015 as the creative forces behind Niobe: She Is Life, a series of graphic novels that merge fantasy and exploration of modern issues like racism and religion. It was the first internationally distributed comic with a black female author, artist, and central character. As a rarity within an industry still dominated by white male voices, the book struck a chord with readers, many of whom saw themselves in the story’s fearless yet conflicted heroine. This week, Stenberg and Jones released the next stage of the series, Niobe: She Is Death.

In part two of a planned trilogy, Niobe tracks down slave traders who have been abducting young girls at the behest of their grief-stricken families. She faces a moral quandary, deciding whether vengeance goes against the ideals that once defined her, as she learns the skills necessary to become a bounty hunter, pushing her one step closer to fulfilling a prophecy that would have her rule the entire kingdom.

Resembling an elfin version of Stenberg—down to the wide-set eyes and shaved head—Niobe provides young women of color with a superhero to call their own. With comics serving as the source material for television shows, expansive cinematic universes, and video games, there’s no shortage of titles in the market, but in many instances, minority characters are regulated to sidekick status. Recent successes, like Roxane Gay’s World of Wakanda and Ta-Nehisi Coates’s action-packed Black Panther reboot, have proved the appetite for stories that place people of color at the forefront, but Niobe takes things a step further. By moving away from narratives informed by reality (for all their otherworldly powers, the majority of Marvel’s heroes still live in present-day New York) and tackling the haloed world of high fantasy—think: Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings—Jones and Stenberg explore fresh possibilities.

Enlisting the talents of esteemed comic artists and collaborating on every step, Jones and Stenberg have been working on the series for three years. Niobe: She Is Death is set to launch this month with a special edition, and Stenberg hopes its audience will find the experience as empowering as she has. “As I navigate the world and try to use my platform to bring people together, Niobe is doing the same thing, only in a much more badass way,” says Stenberg via email. With the character entering into darker and increasingly dangerous territory, she moves from warrior to vigilante in the follow-up. “Her new path reflects my feelings, as I start to deal with all our own world issues, and as it gets scarier, it’s a little better for me to put on the armor,” adds Stenberg.

For Jones, who serves as president of Stranger Comics in addition to his role as a creator, the joy of the series isn’t just getting it into the hands of fans, it’s seeing the effect it has on them. “It’s not uncommon at comic conventions for young girls, especially girls of color, to scream or cry at seeing Niobe, a character who represents their dreams in the most authentic way, and that is thanks to Amandla,” he says. Here, Jones shares how Niobe made the leap from idea to series and why comics still have a ways to go in terms of representation.

Why do you think representation is still rare in comics and fantasy in this day and age?I think the representation is out there, but it reminds me of the days of old-school hip-hop or original rhythm and blues, before the mainstream latched on and airbrushed it. There are heroes in fantasy and comics, rich in history and culture, with beautiful stories told by authentic creators, but many companies are slow to hire and represent unless they are black owned or affiliated.

I love what [companies like] Rosarium and Lion Forge are doing. For women and folks of color, my feeling is that some companies are afraid to mess with pre-existing formulas and preconceived notions of the market and their bottom line. The audience is out there in abundance. They’re starving for high-quality material that represents them without pandering. Projects like Luke Cage and Moonlight show that a global audience is excited for inclusive films and no matter the genre, and fantasy, especially, is screaming for it. I love Game of Thrones and I grew up with Lord of the Rings, but it is time for Niobe to rise and shatter the stereotypes of fantasy in comics.

Niobe first appears in your graphic novel Untamed: A Sinner’s Prayer. When did you first conceive of the character?I think I first conjured the idea of Niobe when I was a teenager growing up in England some 30 years ago. I played a lot of Dungeons & Dragons and read a lot of fantasy novels, but found it was rare that black or brown women were the heroes of legend in any fictional tale. If they were in them at all, it was as a love interest or villain, and always very one-note. In the comics sphere, representation was only a little better. I loved Storm and Monica Rambeau, but I wanted someone who I could pour my hopes and dreams into. Someone I could relate to but also admire. So as I built the world of Asunda, I put Niobe at the center. A child of two worlds, belonging to neither, struggling to come to grips between obligation and adventure, that was me as a teenager, and I projected it into this character. It’s no coincidence that when I first introduce Niobe, she’s a young girl.

What has it been like working with Amandla on this project?Transcendent. We first started working on Niobe: She Is Life about three years ago now. At the time, it was going to be a novel, but the more we worked on it, the more it became clear that we needed to bring Niobe to life as a comic. It has been incredible to watch Amandla grow as Niobe grows along with her. She brings a sense of worldliness to the character and an honesty that speaks to our readers, reflecting her own personal journey as someone who is mixed and feels the weight of the world, or many worlds, on her shoulders. She is extremely intelligent and empathetic, which has allowed me to step back and see Niobe flourish as a more well-rounded and vulnerable character. Amandla often emphasizes the mistakes as well as the hero moments for Niobe, which allows our readers to honestly connect and see themselves within her.

The series has a passionate fan following. Why do you think that it resonates with so many readers?As hinted at before, readers from all walks of life are starving for material that represents them. The world watches fantasy, from Game of Thrones to Xena to Harry Potter. And finally, here comes a hero who touches something deeper, something that is needed. I think the fans can tell this is not a gimmick or a quick Black History Month special. This is from the heart, and it is here to stay.

For someone who has never picked up a comic before, or is perhaps unfamiliar with fantasy, what would you say the series has to offer?I think the comic speaks to universal truths about love and loss, and about sacrifice and betrayal. Hopefully, it is a story that shines after the art draws you in and you fall in love with the characters. The art and mood can transport you into a world that blends realism with wonder and escapism. The first volume is certainly all-ages friendly and hopefully a good read for newcomers and collectors.